Partners Software has extended the remit of its successful cooperation deal with easyJet, Europe’s 4th largest airline. The new agreement gives the German travel software business preferred rights to manage connections between approved travel agents and booking engine suppliers to the easyJet reservation system.

The new relationship is based upon Partner’s innovative LOW.FARE-xml product. In April 2008, Partners completed the connection to easyJet’s Application Programming Interface (API) and have since migrated all their clients from screen scraping to this more robust connection.

The agreement sets out a deal between easyJet and the Bremen-based IT company as its preferred partner for connecting new booking systems or travel agencies to the easyJet API.

Any company, which is approved by easyJet to book easyJet flights, can now contact Partners to establish a connection at preferential booking fees from Partners Software, under easyJet terms and conditions.

Partners connects these companies to the LOW.FARE-xml flight-booking engine including the easyJet API link. Any distribution company or other technical supplier, which would like to sell easyJet flights, will now be offered the Partners solution, which also offers more than 120 further airline connections from Partners’ portfolio.

Screen scraping is strictly prohibited by easyJet and any company that continues to do so will face legal action. The API was developed by easyJet primarily to connect corporate travel agencies and provide an alternative to scraping.

For easyJet, the cooperation enables both quicker and more flexible connections of any approved booking system or travel agency, saving time and money for easyJet. "Partners Software has become a close partner for easyJet in helping to develop third party distribution, especially for corporate travel. This partnership will help us end all unlicensed screen scraping and bring all approved travel agencies onto our API connection," explains Jerry Dunn, easyJet Distribution Development Manager.

The easyJet link via LOW.FARE-xml API from Partners Software offers the complete service package for requests and bookings of easyJet flights, including Bags and Speedy Boarding. The Bremen-based IT company thereby handles the connection, installation, service and helpdesk. In addition, Partners can create for each booking its own PNR (passenger name record), so that the booking can be imported into all important mid- and back-office systems.

Additional services are also available, including automated invoice generation, MIS reporting, accepting credit cards and a connection to both AirPlus and American Express company credit cards. "Via the new connection, we are enhancing our collaboration with easyJet. This shows how successful the relationship between both companies in the last year has developed," adds Partners’ CEO Kai Hannemann.

The clients of LOW.FARE's product palette include renowned companies such as CWT, American Express, HRG, Lufthansa City Center and KDS (France).